The 2-year-old Chihuahua in February had a broomstick impaled down her throat during a robbery in a home in the southern part of Upland.

After $10,000 worth of surgeries, she is alive and recovering, but her owner, Michelle Lattin, 40, will not feel safe until the robber is caught.

The robber broke into Lattin’s home while she was out. Her underwear and iPod were stolen and the six-pound Sylo was tortured.

“The fact that he went through my drawers is a violation in itself. When he took it a step further and hurt her, that’s just a whole other story,” Lattin said. “That’s incomprehensible. You can’t even give this guy a label because `monster’ is not strong enough of a word. He’s just sick.”

Lattin re-lived the traumatic experience when a second robbery occurred Saturday in the same neighborhood.

The burglar stole a female resident’s underwear, an iPod and laptop, according to the Upland Police Department. No animals were injured.

“It was like all those emotions came back, and I just got sick to my stomach,” said Lattin, who also had her underwear stolen a year and a half ago. “It’s like you’re being violated all over again.”

The two robberies are being investigated together due to the similarities, but, so far, no suspects have been named, police said.

Lattin contends the burglar may have entered through the doggy door, either by climbing through it or reaching in to unlock the door.

Lattin and her mother, Patti Lattin, said there is a $500 reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Upland-based animal rescue charity, Helping Out Pets Everyday, has donated the money for the reward.

“The issue is we’re willing to do it and if it gives someone the opportunity to squeal on someone else and give that information, it’s well worth the $500,” said Margaret Coffman, president of HOPE, which has come out against the use of doggy doors.

The ordeal has also inspired Patti Lattin to support legislation in the state Senate that would create a felony animal abuser registry, similar to the one used for sex offenders.

The legislation was introduced by state. Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, in February and would create a public database publishing the abusers’ photographs, place of employment and addresses.

“I think the bottom line is it shouldn’t be tolerated,” Michelle Lattin said. “Animals are defenseless like children and the elderly, and it should be in that same category where we as a society, we’re not going to tolerate this.”

When Lattin returned home from a friend’s house on Feb. 13, she found her Tempur-Pedic bed and box spring flipped over.

Several dogs were in the house, including two pit bulls that were locked in their crates, but Shylo and her sister, Skylar, had been in Lattin’s bedroom.

She was able to find the other dogs, but Shylo was missing.

After 45 minutes of searching, Lattin found her hidden behind headboards in the garage with the broomstick shoved down her throat.

“She’s always been a very athletic and smart, smart girl, so I think she just knew `I got to hang on until my mom comes home and she’ll get me help,”‘ Lattin said.

Shylo squealed when Lattin tried to pull the broom out, so instead she held on to her with one arm and stabilized the broom with her other arm. Her neighbor rushed them to the Inland Valley Emergency Pet Clinic.

The broom was removed, and Shylo was sent to the VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital the following morning.

“It had looked like maybe (the suspect) tried jabbing her a couple times and missed,” Lattin said.

Shylo “had bruises on her head and on her legs, but (the veterinarian) couldn’t tell me for sure if it happened before or after, when she was sitting there trying to get up, but she had the broom in her mouth.”

A first surgery was done, but the muscle in Shylo’s neck later died, which made it difficult for her to eat.

She was taken back to the hospital where a team of three veterinarians worked on her for five hours.

Shylo is doing well but gets scared when men approach and when strangers stare at her.

“She doesn’t like men anymore. She’s traumatized that way,” Michelle Lattin said. “That’s just going to take some of me getting her out and socializing her and keeping her safe.”

Lattin is a veterinary technician, which helped reduce the surgery costs to $7,000 from $10,000. She’s been trying to raise money in order to pay the bill.

“There are cases out there, and people just aren’t talking about it,” Michelle Lattin said. “I don’t know if they feel like `Oh, it’s just a dog,’ but I’m not able to have children, so she is my child, these (dogs) are my children.”

Donations can be sent to Patti Lattin’s business at 154-A W. Foothill Blvd. Suite 244, Upland 91786.